


Caged

by Higgystar



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen, Kink Meme, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-18 19:23:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1439920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgystar/pseuds/Higgystar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt from the kink meme: "I ain't sleeping in a cage." Daryl makes clear when they take the prison, Rick notes his discomfort and tries to ease it the best he can.</p><p>Slight AU for some details I missed at the start of season 3. This was based more on memory than on rewatching the episodes, so apologies for the little errors that are not canon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caged

“I ain’t sleeping in a cage.”

It had been a small thing. Just a few words that Rick had heard Daryl mutter before he crashed out on the perch, slumping from exhaustion and managing a few hours of sleep. Rick had stayed on watch, listening to the sounds of gentle breathing and snores from the others as they relaxed. It felt like he’d been given some hope, like the world was apologising for all the shit it had thrown at them and given them a chance. For the first time in a long time he could actually breathe, the constriction of worry relaxing from around his chest and allowing him to actually relax.

He’s so absorbed in just enjoying the moment he doesn’t realise he’s nodding off until he’s awoken by the sound of the barred door being rattled. Snorting himself awake he’s automatically on edge, getting to his feet and hand on his holster and knife in an instant. Everyone else is still sleeping, getting as much time to rest as they could and still in their cells. Except Daryl.

Stretching the kinks out of his back from where he’d fallen asleep against the wall, Rick heads over to him, his nerves still on high alert as Daryl continues trying the door. “What is it? Did you see something?” He asks, peering through the bars to the hall past it.

“No, sorry didn’t mean to wake you.” Daryl sounds rather sheepish, scuffing his feet at the floor and not quite meeting Rick’s eyes. “Thought it was open, need to take a piss.”

“Nah I wanted it locked, to give us some extra security in case we missed any walkers. Here.” Handing over the keys Rick finds himself yawning, the sound almost blocking out the sound of the keys jangling in Daryl’s fingers. “I’ll come with you, watch your back.”

Daryl nods, swinging open the door before relocking it and moving quickly to unlock the outside door. Rick finds himself still half asleep now the adrenaline of panic has worn off and he knows they’re as safe as they could be for the moment. Stepping outside and into the bright sunlight makes him stumble for a moment but he regains his footing and follows Daryl around the corner to watch his back whilst he takes care of business.

“I think we got them all, can’t see any stragglers.” The other man doesn’t reply, not that Rick had expected him to whilst he was he was occupied, so he continues. “This place could really work for us. So long as we secure all the perimeters and make sure we lock down the other buildings to stop any break ins we should be good. I mean we’ve got a river, good ground Hershel says and enough room inside to open our own hotel.”

“Rick you wanna shut up? You know I can’t do this whilst you’re talking to me.”

“Sorry.” Of course he knew, but for once they were safe enough for him to play with Daryl a little, to actually have some banter and relax. Walking away a little distance Rick scans the fences, finding the walkers have multiplied but not by much. The fences were doing their job and keeping them out, and over time they could easily reinforce them to make it better. When Daryl walks over to join him Rick gives him a smirk, finding himself smiling more in the past few hours than he had in months. “Get over your stage fright?”

“Shut up asshole. This is a good place though, definitely secure.” Daryl scuffs his foot at the ground, scanning the tree line and Rick just knows he’s pleased that they’re close to the woodland. However, when Daryl speaks again there’s something in his voice that Rick takes note of, a hint of worry that he’s trying to play down. “Lots of fences. Lots of locks.”

“It’s perfect.” Rick nods, careful to try and use his words to ease whatever is bugging Daryl. “Made to keep danger in and we’ll use it to keep the danger out.”

There’s a pause in the conversation and Rick takes the moment to watch his friend closely, to take note of all the little signs that he’s learnt to mean that Daryl isn’t completely at ease. He fidgets, not looking his way and scuffing his feet in the dirt, and when Daryl begins chewing on his thumbnail Rick knows something is definitely wrong, so he makes sure to listen when he speaks again. “So we’re going to lock it all down? Bolt the doors? What about the cells?”

Rick can hear the hidden questions and though he won’t ask what he wants to know about Daryl’s past and the source of this issue, he can make a pretty good guess. The scars said enough and paired with this obvious dislike of locked spaces, Rick can do the math. Keeping his voice steady he explains as best he can, not watching Daryl to give him some space. “Well we’ve got the keys to do it, but a lot of the cells are on an automated system, lock one you lock them all. We’ll probably leave that off so people can make the choice to lock theirs by themselves, we’ll sort through the keys.”

Daryl nods, hooking his fingers through the chain link and taking a deep breath. “Sounds all right.”

Though he says it Rick knows he’s still not comfortable and continues trying to make him feel safe by explaining his plans. “We’ll keep the main doors locked. Have a curfew for everyone and make sure we stick to it. We’ll have to keep it tight, have rules and stick to them.” Glancing over he can see Daryl tense a little and clutch the fence a bit tighter.

“We only got one set of keys?” Daryl asks around his thumb, voice still hesitant and quiet.

“Yeah.” He admits, wishing he had a different answer to give. Daryl likes to have control of the situation he’s in, they all know that, and not having the ability to leave at any time would be hard for him. “Whoever is on watch can hold onto them I guess, or we’ll have them hanging somewhere for easy access for everyone.” He suggests, pleased when Daryl nods and his voice sounds a little more even when he speaks again.

“Hanging up sounds better. I know you’re our leader and all, but you ain’t an officer anymore. Don’t got to keep us all under lock and key to keep us safe or anything.”

“It ain’t like that, no one is trapped here.” Rick reinforces, moving to meet Daryl’s eyes and make sure he understood that he was not a prisoner. “Everyone is free to leave when they want, it’s just safer with the doors locked.” He doesn’t want anyone to feel trapped because of his choices, especially not Daryl who has made this whole winter more bearable despite the personal issues Rick has been going through with Lori. He owes the man that at least.

“I get that.” Daryl responds, actually meeting Rick’s eyes before lowering them to the floor again. There’s a slight pause and where other people would continue the conversation, Rick knows to give Daryl time, especially if he’s like this. He knows he’s done the right thing when Daryl continues explaining. “I do Rick, it just ain’t what I’m used to you know?”

To others it would seem like nothing, but Rick knows that’s pretty much the closest he’ll get to a personal reason from Daryl. He feels strangely flattered to get that from him. “I know. But no one’s gonna keep you in if you don’t wanna be.”  He reassures, nodding towards the woods and the grounds they’re standing in. “You’re free to go hunting or come out here whenever you want, within reason of course, but there will be times we’re locked in, like at night. You gonna be okay with that?”

Daryl nods, giving a small sigh before shifting, nodding again as if reassuring himself. “I can deal with it if I have to. Just might take a while to get used to you know?” When Daryl looks to him with a question in his eyes Rick responds by giving a pat to his shoulder, one that says more than his words ever could.

“Well you ever need someone to take your mind off of it, you know I’ll be around right? So will everyone else.” Knowing that Daryl was feeling better Rick knew a distraction would stop him from over thinking having all the doors locked. “And heck when the baby is here I can think of plenty for you to do to keep your mind off of it.”

“Ain’t your damned babysitter.” Daryl scoffs, shifting his weight against the fence and scowling at the walkers behind them. “Besides I don’t know nothing about babies. Never even held one.”

Giving a smirk Rick chuckles, knowing how needed others were when it comes to taking care of a new baby and with his new family around he knew they’d all be pulling their weight. “Well trust me you’re going to be learning. You taught me how to track and hunt, I’ll teach you how to change diapers and burp a baby.”

“That ain’t a fair trade. I’ll probably end up hurting the kid anyway.” It’s rather heart warming to know that Daryl was already worrying about hurting his unborn child, even though he claims to not be willing to help with the baby. Still rick tries to put his fears to bed.

“Nah, babies are quite durable. You know when Carl was born I managed to drop him, sit on him, trap his fingers in a door, fall over him and even once managed to hit his head on the ceiling when throwing him up in the air.” Rick shrugs, enjoying the feeling of Daryl’s easy snort of laughter beside him at the list of his first adventures into fatherhood. “He turned out just fine, trust me you can’t break a baby so easily.”

Daryl seems settled, giving a firm nod before they fall quiet again, looking over the land, surveying what was now theirs and now safe. The fences stand firm, the walkers are kept back and Rick can almost begin to see a real future for them here. For once they wouldn’t be at the mercy of the weather, there would be no more running from walkers and praying for a couple of hours of sleep at a time. When the sun becomes too much and Rick is certain Daryl is feeling more comfortable with the situation he nudges his side to get his attention.

“Ready to head back inside?”

Daryl gives a sigh, nodding and stepping back from the fence to follow Rick back inside. “Yeah, just needed some fresh air you know?”

“Sure.” Rick agrees, knowing that they’d taken more than enough time to get some fresh air, but so long as Daryl was ready then he was fine with it. Treading through the gravel Rick opens the outside door before heading back inside, Daryl on his heels and tugging the door to behind them with a question.

“You gonna lock the door?”

Shaking his head Rick opens the door to the cell block, leaving it half open so Daryl can follow him through and not turning back to lock it. “Nah I’m awake now, it can stay unlocked in case someone else needs the bathroom whilst I’m sorting out supplies.” Turning back to Daryl he holds out the keys, smiling when the other man takes them with a confused look. “You’re in charge of the keys whilst I’m working.”

It’s a small thing, but Rick knows Daryl would appreciate having the control over the locks of the cage, if only for a little while.


End file.
